***Please note, all Louët looms will ship directly from Louët. The current wait time is approximately 6-8 months for all Louët looms***
Megado, Louët’s flagship loom, is a multi-harness dobby loom with unique innovations, that make weaving a real joy. Its attractive appearance is due to the advanced engineering and the use of lacquered ash hardwood.
Dobby looms have a dobby system, which is used to program the harness combinations for the weave pattern. Dobby is short for ′′draw boy′′ which refers to the weaver’s helper who was used to control the warp thread by pulling on draw threads. The dobby mechanism replaces the treadle/lam combination of the traditional floor looms. The performance of a multi-harness loom is vastly improved by using a dobby mechanism, as it overcomes the major problems associated with the use of a large number of treadles.
A dobby loom allows you to select the combination of shafts for every shed opening you wish to make. The great advantage of a dobby loom is that it avoids the necessity and the labour involved in making multiple tie-ups to treadles, positioned underneath a loom. An investment in a Louët Dobby ensures many years of comfortable, ergonomic and productive weaving.
A mechanical dobby is a program bar with pegs. The numbered holes in the program bars corresponds with shafts of the loom. If you want a shaft to be lifted, you place a peg in the corresponding hole of the program bar. The number of program bars forming the chain correspond to your weaving pattern. However, if the number of program bars becomes very large, you may want to consider an electronic dobby due to cost and functionality.
The electronic interface (sold separately) will give you almost unlimited shaft combinations using either the built in Louet web interface software, or a computer and 3rd party software from Fiberworks PCW, Patternland, Weavemaker, Weave It, WeavePoint, Winweef or Pro Weave, which all work with the Louët electronic interface.
Both the Octado and Megado looms feature a counter march shed. This is accomplished by lifting the back beam at the same time as the shafts are being lifted. The beam movement also compensates for changes in warp tension as the shed is made. An innovative construction ensures the action of the well-balanced treadles, which are very light in operation. This main treadle is adjustable in height to accommodate the weaver’s physical requirements. Adjusting blocks can be added to the treadle and foot rail to ensure a comfortable weaving position.
Of course, the Octado and Megado looms also have the patented Louët floating breast beam system, just like the Spring and Delta looms. This unique warp tension control system allows the weaver to re-set the warp tension each time the warp is advanced, back to the tension before the warp was released. These innovative design features give the Octado and Megado looms an indisputable advantage over other competitive looms. No other multi-harness loom treadles as light and creates as large a shed as a Louët loom, even with a very high tension on the warp.
Megado is available with 16 or 32 harnesses and in 40 cm, 70 cm, 90cm, 110 cm and 130 cm (15.5", 27 5/8", 35.5", 43 1/4" and 51 1/4") weaving width. You must choose between a mechanical and electronic dobby.
Megado is made of lacquered ash hardwood and the most complex castle section is pre assembled. Included are: a large shelf, built-in raddle, a stainless steel reed 40-10 (metric), 900/1400/1600 Texsolv heddles (392 mm), lease and tie-up sticks and sixteen warp sticks.
